Are you a compulsive (强迫性的) spender, or do you hold on to your money as long as possible? Are you a bargain hunter? Would you rather use charge accounts than pay cash? Your answers to these questions will reflect your personality. According to psychologists, our individual money habits not only show our beliefs and values, but can also stem from past problems.
Experts in psychology believe that for many people, money is an important symbol of strength and influence. Husbands who complain about their wives’ spending habits may be afraid that they are losing power in their marriage. Wives, on the other hand, may waste huge amounts of money because they are angry at their husbands. In addition, many people consider money a symbol of love. They spend it on their family and friends to express love, or they buy themselves expensive presents because they need love.
People can be addicted to different things — for example, alcohol, drugs, certain foods, or even television. They are compulsive in their addictions, i.e. they must satisfy these needs to feel comfortable. In the same way, according to psychologists, compulsive spenders must spend money. For people who buy on credit, furthermore, charge accounts are even more exciting than money: in other words, they feel that with credit, they can do anything. Their pleasures in spending enormous amounts are actually greater than those they get from the things they buy.
There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting. To save money, of course, most people look for sales, low prices, and discounts. Compulsive bargain hunters, however, often buy things that they don’t need just because they are cheap. They want to believe that they are helping their budgets, but they are really playing an exciting game: when they can buy something for less than other people, they feel that they are winning. Most people, experts claim, have two reasons for their behavior: a good reason for the things that they do and the real reason.
It is not only scientists, of course, who understand the psychology of spending habits, but also business people. Stores, companies, and advertisers use psychology to increase business: they consider people’s needs for love, power, or influence, their basic values, their beliefs and opinions, etc. in their advertising and sales methods.
Psychologists often use a method called “behavior therapy(疗法)” to help individuals solve their personality problems. In the same way, they can help people who feel that they have problems with money: they give them “assignments”. If a person buys something in every store that he enters, for instance, a therapist might teach him self-discipline in this way: on the first day of his therapy, he must go into a store, stay five minutes, and then leave. On the second day, he should stay for ten minutes and try something on. On the third day, he stays for fifteen minutes, asks the salesclerk a question, but does not buy anything. Soon he will learn that nothing bad will happen to him if he doesn’t buy anything, and he can solve the problem of his compulsive buying.If you use charge accounts, ______.
| A.you pay in cash |
| B.you pay with credit card |
| C.you pay less than you should |
| D.you pay more than you should |
Compulsive bargain hunters buy things for all the following reasons except that ______.
| A.the things they buy are cheap |
| B.they believe they can balance their budgets |
| C.they get psychological satisfaction |
| D.they really need the things they buy |
Behavior therapy in this case aims at ______.
| A.helping businessmen to increase their business |
| B.helping compulsive spenders to buy less |
| C.finding out how people will react if they are allowed to buy |
| D.finding out what people will do in front of a bargain |
The underlined word “those” in Paragraph 3 refers to ______.
| A.different things | B.their addictions |
| C.their pleasures | D.charge accounts |
From the passage we can conclude that ______________.
| A.how you spend money reflects if you are psychologically healthy |
| B.money is a necessity and will bring you happiness if you have much |
| C.compulsive buying problems can be solved by taking some medicine |
| D.all businessmen understand well the psychology of customers |
Robert and Peter study in the same university. They do everything together and help each other. But they often play jokes on each other. The school year was over last month and they decided to travel through the country in America. They drove a car and could stop wherever they were interested in and started whenever they wanted. Of course they enjoyed themselves. It was very hot one day and they were both hungry and thirsty. They stopped in front of a restaurant by the road. They came in, sat down at a table and ordered some dishes. Robert looked around and found there was a small bowl on the table. He thought there was some ice cream in it and took a spoonful of it and put it into his mouth. Immediately he knew it was mustard(芥末),but it was too late. Tears ran down his face, but he pretended nothing had happened. The other young man, seeing his friend crying, asked, “What are you crying about, Robert?” “I’m thinking of my father who was hanged twenty years ago,” was his reply.
After a while, Peter made the same mistake. Tears ran down his cheeks, too. And his friend asked him why.
“I wonder why your father hadn’t been hanged before he got married!”Robertdidn’ttellPeteritwassomemustardinthebowlbecause.
| A.hewantedhisfriendtorepeatthemistake. |
| B.hedidn’tknowhisfriendhatedit. |
| C.hethoughthisfriendknewwhatitwas. |
| D.hethoughthisfriendwasinterestedinit. |
What do Peter’s last words mean?
| A.Robert’s father would be hanged earlier. |
| B.It was wrong to play a joke on a friend. |
| C.He must give his friend a lesson. |
| D.His friend wouldn’t be born. |
The writer mainly wants to tell us________ in this passage.
| A.not to trust your friend. |
| B.a joke |
| C.not to mistake mustard for Ice cream. |
| D.it’s wrong to lie to friends |
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the eleventh largest nation in Europe. England, Wales and Scotland make up the island of Great Britain, which takes up most of the Britain Isles. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are mountainous. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland. Plains and valleys cover much of England. The British climate is mild.
About 58 million people live in the United Kingdom. Few other countries are so crowded. Four out of five people live in cities such as Belfast, Glasgow, and London. London is the capital. Great Britain grows half of the food it needs. Its industries help to pay for the food that is bought from abroad. The United Kingdom manufactures a wide range of goods. Service industries, such as tourism, that provide services rather than producing goods, are increasing. Traditional industries, such as coal mining, are declining.There are many mountains in ______________.
| A.Northern Ireland, Scotland and England |
| B.England, Wales and Scotland |
| C.Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland |
| D.Northern Ireland, Wales and England |
In the United Kingdom, about __________people live in big cities.
| A.58 million | B.46 million |
| C.38.8 million | D.half |
According to the passage, which of the statements is true?
| A.Great Britain grows all of the food it needs. |
| B.The United Kingdom manufactures a narrow range of goods. |
| C.The speed of tourism in UK is increasing faster than producing goods. |
| D.The coal mining is also increasing fast. |
Hundreds of years ago, Native-American tribes lived in Mexico. The Aztecs built beautiful cities. They had a calendar (历法) and a written language. However, the Spanish destroyed the Aztecs in l521. For the next 300 years, Spain ruled over Mexico. That’s why Mexicans speak Spanish.
Every September l6 the Mexican people hold a celebration in Mexico City, their country’s capital. It is their Independence Day. On that date in 1821 they told Spain they would no longer be ruled. Breaking free from Spain caused a war. When it was over, the Mexicans had their own government. They made their own laws.
Today America and Mexico are friends, but it wasn’t always that way. President James Polk wanted America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He tried to buy what is now the American southwest from Mexico. Mexico would not sell. So from l846 to 1848 Mexico and America fought a war to ascertain where their borders would be. When the war ended, Mexico had lost a lot of land. Now the Rio Grande River forms the border between the two nations. America is on the north side of the river. Mexico is on the south side.
Mexico has mountains and a hot, dry climate. Crops can grow on only a small part of the land. Still, Mexicans grow much of the coffee, oranges, and sugar used in the US. Mexicans have influenced building styles in southwestern US and added words such as patio and canton to American English. Americans also enjoy eating many Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, tortillas, and tamales.According to the passage, what happened second on historical timeline?
| A.Mexicans declared their independence from Spain. |
| B.The Spanish ruled Mexico. |
| C.The Aztecs lived in Mexico. |
| D.Americans fought a war with Mexico. |
The passage says that President Polk wanted ______.
| A.the US to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean |
| B.Mexico to change its Independence Day to July 4th |
| C.Mexico to become one of the states of the Union |
| D.Americans to adopt the Mexican language |
Another word for the underlined word “ascertain” is ______.
| A.inspect | B.cover |
| C.change | D.determine |
Mexicans have the following influences on America EXCEPT ______.
| A.building styles | B.vocabulary |
| C.clothes | D.food |
Before the Aztecs were conquered(征服), these Native Americans probably ______.
| A.didn’t speak Spanish |
| B.couldn’t read or write any language |
| C.didn’t have tools |
| D.didn’t understand the concept of time |
February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.Which of the following is not a custom for a boy to do on Valentine’s Day?
| A.to take his girlfriend out to dinner |
| B.to buy his girlfriend flowers and chocolates |
| C.to make Valentine’s cards for teachers and friends |
| D.to spell out his girlfriend’s name with rose petals |
Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
| A.Because there were few women in his country at that time. |
| B.Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers. |
| C.Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people. |
| D.Because he wanted to control the birth rate. |
Valentine was put into prison because ______.
| A.he killed one of the soldiers |
| B.he stole a lot of food |
| C.he didn’t obey the emperor’s order |
| D.he didn’t want to be a soldier |
The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
| A.students in China send cards to their teachers |
| B.it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| C.it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| D.Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now |
The best title for this passage should be ______.
| A.Valentine’s Day |
| B.A Brave Priest |
| C.Valentine’s Day in China |
| D.A Romantic Man |
Carnival does not take place only in Louisiana. There are many celebrations around the world.
In Brazil, the celebration is supposed to go on from the Saturday before Mardi Gras(四旬斋前的最后一天)to Mardi Gras Day, but in some Brazilian cities the celebration can last seven or eight days. Just like New Orleans, not many important things are decided in Brazil from New Year’s Day to Mardi Gras Day because everyone is preparing for or celebrating carnival. Most Brazilian parades have a subject, which could be political and historical. The parades had to have a subject related to Brazil until 1996. Some cities in Brazil do not have a street carnival but they might have an indoor ball.
Bolivia has carnival parades for children and then more parades for adults. The children dress up in costumes and march in the streets. The adults make traditional dance groups and dance in the streets. But the main part of Bolivia’s carnival is getting wet. Almost everyone gets wet from water balloons and water buckets. In Oruru, Bolivia, their carnival is held in the last ten days of the carnival season. People there participate in crafts and dancing, but their main carnival event is a ceremonial parade that lasts for twenty hours and parades for four kilometers. Over 20,000 dancers are involved as well as 10,000 musicians. This parade attracts at least 400,000 people.
The carnival in Venice, Italy is often regarded as the most carefully prepared carnival and lasts the ten days before Lent (四旬斋). Many events are held in the canals including shows, concerts, dances, and water processions(队列). The official ending to the celebration is the ball held in St. Mark’s Square.What’s the best title of the passage?
| A.Carnivals around the world. | B.History of carnival. |
| C.Customs of carnival. | D.Carnival parades. |
From the passage we learn that in Brazil.
| A.all urban residents celebrate carnival for a week |
| B.people prepare for or celebrate carnival after Mardi Gras Day |
| C.the parades should have a subject related to Brazil |
| D.not all cities have a street carnival |
The most important feature of the celebration of carnival in Bolivia is that .
| A.children wearing costumes march in the streets |
| B.adult dance groups dance in the streets |
| C.people participate in crafts and dancing |
| D.nearly all people are sprayed with water |
Which of the following statements shows that the author pays special attention to the carnival in Bolivia?
| A.The time of celebrating carnival in Bolivia is mentioned. |
| B.There are details and numbers about carnival celebrations in Bolivia. |
| C.Events or performances for carnival celebrations in Bolivia are mentioned. |
| D.Participants in the carnival celebration in Bolivia are mentioned. |
Which of the following areas or countries prepares the most carefully for their carnival according to the passage?
| A.Louisiana. | B.Bolivia. |
| C.Venice. | D.Brazil. |